Regardless of whether you just want to implement a couple of graph algorithms or get into the guts of graph theoretic proofs, this book should come in as a great resource.

In over 500 pages, this book covers a lot of ground beyond the basics, such as topology of graphs, graph operations and mappings, voltage graphs, and surface imbeddings. Definitions are very clear, propositions and proofs are stated very clearly, and there are shrink-wrapped algorithms if you just want to apply them.

Requiring no previous knowledge of abstract algebra or graph theory, this is a great resource to have in your bookshelf.

not recommended

Rating: 2/5

This book was used for my undergraduate course in introductory graph theory, which was split between math and computer science students. I found that this book left to be desired. The definitions are imprecise and often inconsistent with those that are standard, and much of the notation used is not standard. I would not recommend this book as a reference or for advanced students.

A great link between math and computer sciences

Rating: 5/5

Professors Gross and Yallen have written a great book on "practical" graph theory that can be used in math or computer sciences courses alike. The book is very well organized and its chapters can be read on almost any sequence, allowing instructors to skip sections or give special emphasis to certain more interesting subjects.

The text can be used in a one semester introductory graduate course in graph theory in a CS or math department, an advanced undergraduate seminar or as a reference book for an undergraduate course in discrete math.

Of special interest are the sections on Huffman trees and voltage graphs. The section on Hoffman trees is especially interesting to computer scientists. I believe this is the first book that devotes an entire section to the theoretical treatment of this very useful subject. Prof. Gross is a pioneer in voltage graphs and the treatment of this somewhat esoteric subject is lucid and complete.

Overall this textbook is excellent. The writing is clear and precise and the knowledge needed to read it is that of an advanced undergraduate student. However, the book could benefit from solutions to the exercises, or at least some selected exercises, some computer sciences oriented "practical" examples and projects and an instructor's manual.